Fingers are sure to get pointed if the misery continues to fester, if an offence continues to backfire when a push for the playoffs must be initiated.

As of today, the only direction the Argos are moving is backwards, the only saving grace being found in Hamilton and Winnipeg, where neither team seems capable of resurrecting their lost season.

But stranger things have happened and as strange as it may sound, the Ticats still have a chance, mathematically, anyway, to catch the Argos if all the dominos fall into place with three games remaining.

The odds of that unfolding are as unlikely as Toronto catching Montreal for first in the East, which now appears a lost cause following the Argos’ 24-12 setback to the Als on Sunday.

“The mantra this year was to win the East,’’ said Argos head coach Scott Milanovich. “I wanted our goals to be high, but now our focus is to make the playoffs.”

So much will depend on Ricky Ray, whose status for Friday’s visit by Winnipeg will be known in the next few days, if not sooner.

No one could have envisioned this scenario that puts the Argos in a must-win situation against a Winnipeg team that simply can’t win.

But that’s where the Argos, losers of four of five, find themselves, especially with a road game in Regina looming.

“We have to stick together,’’ said Jarious Jackson. “This happens. This is a game of ups and downs and right now we’re definitely dealing with the downs, but we have to stick together, point blank.”

As quarterback, Jackson knows many will put Sunday’s loss on his shoulders, but it wasn’t just his fault.

The Argos pretty much played like a road team in the opening half, but then became road kill.

“Up and down,’’ he continued. “There were a few times where I could have made plays, a few times there were other factors to it. I’m not here to point fingers or put blame.

“If so, I put it on myself. I’m going to man up.”

The game would turn on a turnover, a pick six by Shea Emry, who returned the interception 46 yards midway through the final quarter.

“Emry made a great play,’’ said Jackson. “When I came out of my read, I saw the halfback jump the flat route. I thought I had the curl. I never saw Emry going from the middle working his way out there.”